French 14K gold and enamel repeating verge watch Circa 1800

Gold verge with a miniature portrait by Breguet
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An ornamental French 14 carat gold and enamel open faced quarter repeating verge pocket watch, circa 1800. Full plate movement, verge escapement, two hammers, two gongs. White enamel dial with Arabic hours and outer minute divisions. On the case back a polychrome enamel miniature portrait of a young lady in a contemporary dress holding a dove in her arms framed by a border of white enamel pearls, the portrait is flanked by two vases on opaque dark blue enamel ground, the vases are filled with flowers embellished with gold paillons, a reeded band, maker’s mark PDB. Case numbered.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Weight: 142 g
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Signed: Breguet & Fils
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Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1747 and died in 1823 at the age of 77. At age 15, he left for Paris where he studied various disciplines, mathematics, astrology, horology, etc. He began his watchmaking career by marrying a wealthy heiress and establishing his first watch factory in Paris. He hired the most skilled and renowned horologers and master watchmakers. They realized his brilliant and innovative ideas. In 1786, he moved to London and set up a workshop where high-quality pocket watches and chronometers were manufactured. In 1789, he returned to Paris, where he remained until 1793 when he fled for political reasons. With the arrival of Louis XVIII, he became in charge of the ‘Centre Horloger de Versailles’ and was appointed ‘Horloger de la Marine’, he further entered the Academy of Sciences, and the King personally imposes on him the ‘Legion of Honour’. His innovations and improvements shocked the already existing watchmaking industry.